Transmission, oh yeah, that would take an actual investment in our grid's infrastructure. God-forbid. It's not like we don't know how to build power lines. Plus, you need to look into this: http://rael.berkeley.edu/node/248

But neither come remotely close to providing the energy - particularly transportation energy - that we (and the world) needs.

The American Bird Conservancy estimates that U.S. wind turbines kill between 75,000 and 275,000 birds per year.

Obviously, solar panels have to be manufactured. These panels have varying life cycles, and producing them utilizes a wide variety of heavy metals including lead, mercury, cadmium and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) which scientists have claimed is 17,000 times worse than CO2.

My point is that no matter what the technology/source/origin - there will always be negatives.

Hydrogen/Electric has all the potential to provide the world with transportation energy.

Do you really think someone has counted how many birds are killed by turbines? I mean, look at the statsistic you provided. That's a rediculous range, it's meaningless.

At least with those heavy metals we have a better chance at sequestering and recycling them. The sequestering of CO2 has proven to be cost/energy prohibitive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyinb501

Let me know when it will be possible to efficiently run our economy on those energy sources.

Well, if you want to talk pure economics, then yeah, let's keep on the fossil fuel path, because that's what's making the most money right now. Do you really think one of the most powerful industries in the world is going to make any meaningful investment into technologies that'll essentially be free once the infrastructure is built. Show me the money, Fuck The Earth!

Transmission, oh yeah, that would take an actual investment in our grid's infrastructure. God-forbid. It's not like we don't know how to build power lines. Plus, you need to look into this: http://rael.berkeley.edu/node/248

Hydrogen/Electric has all the potential to provide the world with transportation energy.

Do you really think someone has counted how many birds are killed by turbines? I mean, look at the statsistic you provided. That's a rediculous range, it's meaningless.

At least with those heavy metals we have a better chance at sequestering and recycling them. The sequestering of CO2 has proven to be cost/energy prohibitive.

Well, if you want to talk pure economics, then yeah, let's keep on the fossil fuel path, because that's what's making the most money right now. Do you really think one of the most powerful industries in the world is going to make any meaningful investment into technologies that'll essentially be free once the infrastructure is built. Show me the money, Fuck The Earth!

The point is that every method of developing energy is going to have downsides. Period.

So... another week gone by. This is starting to get really bad, and no solution in sight.

Yeah, this sucks. Two days before it happened my father and I just got the boat de-winterized and geared for our first offshore fishing trip of the year. We have a camp in Grand Isle, LA and it looks like the oil is moving in on Grand Isle and Fourchon thanks to strong tides and a steady southwest wind.

The new plan will combat the oil spilling into the gulf on three fronts: the subsea, the surface, and the shore.

At the subsea level, efforts will be geared towards stopping the leak by physical containment using a smaller container, which will be placed over the leak point. The dome, which is connected by drill pipes and riser lines to a drill ship on the surface, will collect oil for removal and treatment. The smaller size of the dome will combat hydrate build up and make sure that the problems with the larger dome will not occur again. They will be able to keep it warm by pumping warm water over it. The hydrate crystals blocking the larger containment device form in cold temperatures.

The placement of the smaller dome is by no means fool proof. The work that is being done to combat the oil spill is like doing heart surgery at 5,000 feet. The depth of the well, and the lack of experience with handling technologies at such depths has been a larger dilemma than BP first expected.

The smaller dome will be supplemented with the drilling of two relief wells, which should ultimately be successful. We will see...hope for the best!